Just a bit of Trust
by the sleepyhead
Summary: When two of the most reserved members of the crew are left to fend for themselves on a cursed island, they learn a little of each other as time passes, and along the way, earn a little trust, as well. They're going to need it, after all. Set just before the crew enters the New World.
1. Chapter 1

It was just another day in the lives of the Straw Hat Pirates. Sanji kicking their captain out of the kitchen (of course), Usopp fishing out a sea monster only about 20 times the size of Sunny (nothing new), Zoro managing to find himself in the women's bathroom when Nami was inside (_again_), and the usual unexpected changes in weather in the New World that had everyone swallowing about 10 gallons of seawater every two minutes (surprise, surprise).

It was definitely just another day; just… not quite the same, this time round.

From an innocent, sunny day, the weather seemed to take a complete 180 degree turn and brewed one of the worst storms the crew had ever faced. Black waves crashed against the sides of the Sunny, rocking it violently from side to side; dark clouds looming over the ship as lightning lit up the skies; and the occasional clap of thunder had never been louder in their ears, earning a jump from each crew member every now and then. Chopper clung onto Zoro's leg as if it was his lifeline, the swordsman looking a little disgruntled.

A cold gust of air had his goose bumps standing, and when he turned towards the black sea, a blurry, black figure was standing on the water's surface a few miles away from the ship. Zoro's mind went blank for a moment before The Sunny rocked again and he staggered, diverting his gaze to the rest of his crew for a moment before turning his attention back to the sea, and blinked when the spot where the figure had been was empty. Zoro was sure that the chill running down his spine had nothing to do with the cold.

Nami was having a hard time delivering out orders to try and steer the ship away out of the area. But her commands were drowned out by the loud crash of the waves, making it almost impossible for anyone to notice her instructions.

Robin grabbed onto the side of the ship for support, as she racked her brains. She remembered reading about a situation such as they were in, but what exactly was it about? _Think_, she thought to herself. _Think_...

_"Get out_," muttered a low, raspy voice in her ear. Robin jerked and found herself momentarily paralyzed, her muscles numb and ignoring her brain's orders to _move_ and get away from there.

Then a strong grip locked onto her wrist, the hold so strong she could literally feel a bruise forming on her tanned skin. Unable to move just yet, Robin felt herself getting dragged over the side of the ship, and it was only seconds before she hit the freezing water that she was able to scream.

"_Robin!_" Everyone panicked, at a loss of what to do; that is, all but the swordsman, who swore under his breath, yanked the doctor from his leg and swiftly threw him onto the deck. In a flash he was in the cold sea, diving deep in search of his nakama.

"Zoro! Oh my – _Zoro!_ Guys, Zoro just went in!" Chopper cried, frantically waving his arms about.

"_What?!_"

"Nami!" She turned around at the yell of her name to see Franky dripping wet, holding his hair out of his eyes. "Sunny needs to get out of here before she gets some serious damage! The water's too rough!"

She swore colorfully under her breath. "_Damnit_ - fine! We'll get out of here first! Franky, hard to port!"

"But Nami, Zoro and Robin – they're –!"

Nami patted Chopper's head once, and winked. "It's Zoro and Robin, remember? They'll make it somehow. We'll come back for them."

He sniffed and nodded, and hung onto the mast for dear life as the Sunny fought against the merciless waves.

* * *

><p>"Hah!" he huffed, panting furiously as he resurfaced. He looked around for the ship, but it was nowhere to be seen.<p>

"Great," he muttered, as his eyes searched for dry land, eventually landing on a nearby island he could practically _see_ had an ominous aura to it. He frowned, tightening the grip around Robin's waist as he began to push aside all other thoughts, thinking only about the safety of his nakama.

Upon reaching the island – he was still trying to figure out how the hell he actually got there and not the other side of the world – Zoro tried to ease his ragged breathing as he slowly dragged them both on shore. He dropped Robin lightly onto the sand while he attempted to catch his breath, scanning the area. He didn't like what he saw.

"Well," he sighed, running a hand through his damp hair, nudging the pile of skulls by his feet with a toe, "this is interesting."

* * *

><p>Robin shifted, vaguely realizing that someone was carrying her. She lifted her chin slightly, her eyes fluttering as she tried to catch a glimpse of the person's face. But the muscles in her neck screamed at her when she moved, earning her a small whimper.<p>

"Go back to sleep," she heard a deep, familiar voice murmur, and before it hit her as to who it was, she let out a small sneeze. As the strong arms around her pulled her closer to a warm torso, she dozed off back into a slumber.

She awoke a couple of hours later, feeling somewhat dry and warm, in a small cave she had actually expected to be a little damp. Rubbing her eyes, Robin sat up, and saw Zoro by a fire just a few feet away.

"Swordsman-san?" she murmured, her voice sore and quiet.

"So you're awake," came the gruff reply.

"Where are we?" She went over, slightly ducking her head, and sat beside him - she always kept in mind to keep her distance when it was around the swordsman, but in this case, there wasn't much space.

Zoro let out a chuckle. "Who knows?"

There was a moment of silence. Both stared at the fire as they tried to soak up whatever warmth it offered, each to their own thoughts of all that had happened so far.

"…Thank you for saving me."

He only let out a mere grunt.

As the rain began to die down into a soft drizzle, they decided to check out their surroundings.

"I hope you find something out of this place," Zoro said in a somewhat hopeful tone as he set his katana in their places on his hakama, starting towards the exit of the small cave.

"Why do you say that?" she asked, truly puzzled.

He looked outside as he leaned against the rocky entrance. "See for yourself."

Curious from how the swordsman was behaving, Robin stepped out of the cave, and paused.

Coffins and skulls littered the shore, and bones were scattered around nearby. There was no trace of any form of life at all, and it dawned on her that they could be next to join the skeletons that seemed to stare back at her.

Nonetheless, they seemed to spark some interest in her, and boldly she stepped out into the rain, walking towards an old, rotting coffin. Zoro followed suit in silence, watching as she kneeled down and gently pushed off the lid.

"Oh dear..." she whispered as an automatic hand reached up to cover her nose.

"What – " Zoro immediately pinched his nose, trying to keep the stench out. "Damn."

They stared down at the dead body, whose flesh was rotting away to nothing but bones. Whatever skin was left was dried up and pale, and the stench - god, the stench. His eyes were wide open, no pupils seen, and his mouth was open in a silent scream, jaw slack. Robin was bothered when she found no traces or signs of an attack.

"How could this have happened?" Robin mused, fighting off the stench as she tried to inspect the body for any clues that led to his death.

Zoro kneeled down beside her to have a closer look. He could tell that whatever happened was definitely not normal. He heard the archaeologist sigh.

"I can't find anything," Robin said, and gently she put her hand over the dead man's eyes, sliding his eyelids close.

As she closed back the lid, Zoro felt a chill run down the back of his spine and an itch on his neck, and stiffened. Abruptly, he stood up with a hand on Wado Ichimonji, muscles taut and tense, and sufficiently surprised Robin when he turned around suddenly to a particular part of the jungle behind them.

"Swordsman-san -"

"Something's coming," he told her, and just as the words left his lips, the bushes nearby rustled.

A small, sharp stick shot out from the bushes, seeming to aim directly for Robin's forehead, and immediately Zoro pushed Robin to the ground. It pierced right through the trunk of a nearby palm tree.

Looking over their shoulders and trying to recover from the sudden assault, they stared at the offending stick for a little longer before Zoro let out a huff. "This island's not very friendly, is it?" he said grimly, helping Robin up and presuming to walk towards it.

"There's a note attached to it," he added, falling silent when he read the written words.

"What does it say?"

Zoro showed her the piece of paper itself instead, and Robin found that she wasn't quite sure what to make out of it, either.

On the worn, torn up note, the words "YE WILL NOT LIVE LONG" are written in blood, brown and dried up. Zoro looked up at Robin, who stared back at him, equally speechless.

There was a distant echo in the trees behind them. The wind began to howl and bit at their skins as the sky above them darkened.


	2. Chapter 2

By this point, their clothes were dry and warm enough for them to comfortably move around in without freezing up at the sudden drop in temperature. The cave was small, enough to probably fit only three people - and with the fire right in the middle to keep up the warmth within the cave, there wasn't much space for both to share. The roof seemed to cave in the deeper they ventured inside; Zoro was getting tired of having to duck his head all the time.

Robin stared at the fire in front of her from where she sat beside her only crewmate, the sound of crackling flames almost soothing, next to the still-drizzling rain. She felt herself dozing off, and before she knew it, she was fast sleep, her head gently coming to rest on Zoro's shoulder. He turned his head slightly to look at her, and then turned away, scratching the back of his head.

Abruptly, Robin sat up and blinked. Realizing what just happened, she turned to look at Zoro, who kept his expression carefully blank.

"Is it okay with you?" she asked boldly, restraining herself from grinning when Zoro grumbled incoherently under his breath, before mumbling out an affirmative.

She smiled, and presumed to claim her spot once again on the swordsman's shoulder, and found herself surrendering to sleep for the second time that night. Zoro sighed, shifting around to make both of them a little more comfortable, before leaning against his katana and eventually dozing off himself.

* * *

><p>Her eyes fluttered open as the sunlight streamed into the cave, casting a warm glow across the walls and her dark skin, a sharp contrast against the cold, hard ground beneath her thighs. <em>What time was it?<em> She sighed, and sat up immediately when she heard a quiet "hm".

"Awake yet?"

"Yes, and thank you."

"Mm." Zoro stood, ducking slightly, and wandered out of the cave. She followed suit, relieved to find the sun directly above in the blue sky. It was a beautiful morning, if one closed an eye at the skulls and bones littering the beach. Coming to a stop beside Zoro, her eyes roamed the area once again.

They landed on the stick that had pierced the palm tree the day before. Robin turned towards the direction where it came out of the bushes, and walked towards it. Pushing the leaves and branches away, she began to advance deeper into the middle of the island. She didn't even realize she had left a certain someone way behind.

"Oi, where're you going?" he asked, managing to catch up to her. Robin stopped and waited for him.

"Exploring," she smiled, earning a slow blink in response.

"Shouldn't we stay here and wait for the others to come?"

"It will take a few days for them to find this island, I reckon," she mused, a thoughtful look across her face. "Three days at least, perhaps. Till then, I'm interested to find out the story behind this island."

Zoro contemplated for a few moments before sighing loudly and running a hand through his hair. He fell into step behind Robin, who sported an amused smile all the while, and together they began to find their way through the vegetation and undergrowth of the dense jungle. Other than the exotic and peculiar plants, and the occasional fallen tree, they didn't come across anything else but annoying bugs and mosquitoes. _Or not yet_, Zoro thought to himself.

After an hour or two, they came across a pond with a small waterfall, where water was falling fiercely just a few meters above from a rocky surface. Zoro grinned and went over to heave his bulk down onto a boulder.

"Let's rest here," he huffed, wiping off the sweat from his forehead. Robin nodded, and went to the edge of the pond to drink up. Meanwhile, Zoro was about to head off and find some food for them both, when Robin noticed and, after a moment of thinking, stopped him.

"Swordsman-san, I think you should let me do the job," she suggested, getting on her feet, wondering if she'd offended him.

Zoro threw a small glare towards her direction. "I could find my way back just fine!"

She tried not to laugh and sported an amused look instead, already on her way from the pond. "I'm sure you can."

He huffed, resisting the urge to cross his arms and frown any more than he already was, and looked away instead, ignoring another chuckle from his crewmate.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" he muttered as kneeled by the water's edge, carefully cupping clear water into his hands, and letting it soothe his parched throat.

It didn't take long for him to spot a number of bubbles disturbing the water's surface from somewhere below. He raised an eyebrow, curiosity taking over him, and began to pull off his shirt and gently placing his katana against the boulder. He dived in, following the direction where they were coming from.

It was deeper than he had expected, and Zoro was just about to head back thinking that there was nothing there, when he strained his eyes slightly and saw a large cavern in an algae-covered wall. It was just right to fit the Going Merry probably, and he ventured inside the dark space, hoping that he'd find something.

He felt… odd, for lack of a better word, as he swam through the darkness, trying to shove back the paranoia that something wasn't right, and that he should _probably_ turn around and get out of there. The water pressure seemed to be pressing down on him the further he went, and Zoro had the usual itch on the back of his neck when he felt as though he was being watched. His instincts kicked in and he was just about to head back when without any warning at all, there was a sudden powerful rush of water pushing him back, and Zoro almost found himself back to the entrance. When it stopped, he saw, once again, a dark shadow heading right at him even as dark as it was. He couldn't help but blink, and again, it was gone. He couldn't help the violent shiver running down his spine.

After a while, the passage ended, and Zoro frantically looked around, practically hearing his lungs screaming for air. The swordsman was in the process of colorfully cursing his luck when he felt a tug on his hair, and momentarily disgruntled, he looked up to find light dimly streaming through the water above him, and pushed himself upwards.

Zoro resurfaced and gasped for air, finding himself in another dimly lit cavern. He looked around and took in his surroundings as he fought to catch his breath; there were torches lining the walls beside four different entrances, with even more bones and skulls littering the ground. Zoro hummed thoughtfully before deciding that it would be best to head back and tell Robin about this, and after taking a deep breath, he ducked his head back into the black water.

He resurfaced once more at the pond a while later, and the sight of Robin with an armful of fruits was the first thing he was met with. He ignored her look of surprise and climbed out of the pond, shaking droplets of water out of his hair as he dropped down beside the boulder.

"Where have you been?" she asked, settling down on a rock not too far away.

"Exploring," he answered, trying to fight back a grin when she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "I found some kinda cave down below," he said, reaching out for a blue, odd-looking fruit and taking a huge bite. It was as sweet as Nami's mikans. "I dunno. Wanna check it out?"

Robin hummed as she picked up a fruit, turning it in her fingers. "Sure."

They lapsed into companionable silence, the pile of fruits slowly growing smaller and smaller as time ticked by, and Zoro was about to think that maybe spending _some_ time in the presence of the archaeologist wasn't so bad when she spoke up.

"Swordsman-san," Robin said quietly, focusing on the fruit in her hands.

"Hm?"

"Exactly how much do you trust me?"

_Where did that come from?_ Zoro wondered, a pensive look across his face. He swallowed the last remaining bits of his fruit noisily as he tried to come up with a good answer.

Robin carefully kept a neutral expression. "I'm sorry, that was a little uncalled for, wasn't it? Though –"

"Considerably," he cut her off. Robin slowly looked up and met his eyes. "Kinda like I do with Franky and Brook."

"I see..." she murmured, and made sure to carefully note it down in her mind.

"…Penny for your thoughts?"

Robin took a juicy bite from her fruit. "I was simply curious," she admitted, giving him a reassuring smile. "Though, of course, it would be nice to have your wholehearted trust in me."

"Why worry? Absolute trust comes with due time. I spent days trying not to kill Nami when I first met that witch; she practically ditched us once," he grumbled at the memory, though he'd already forgiven her actions long since then. _Besides that stupid debt I 'owe' her._

"Because we've been nakama for a while now," she replied quietly, as if it was the most obvious answer. "Though I can't quite call you that if I don't have everyone's trust yet. This crew has become more of a family to me, with all that's happened so far, and I suppose it would be nice to have faith in each other."

Zoro didn't quite have anything to say to that, so he nodded to show he understood, and was inwardly glad that she had answered with a simple smile of her own. The swordsman had to admit that he wasn't very good at comforting people, and the only way he knew how was to sit with them quietly to let them know he was there; which, he noticed, Robin seemed to appreciate, if the grateful look in her eyes was anything to go by.

After they'd finished their food and rested for a bit more, Zoro put on his shirt and set his katana back where they were on his hakama, before standing by the edge of the pond and all but glaring down at the ripples breaking out across the surface. Robin stepped up beside him to glance warily at the pond.

How were they supposed to get to the cave if she couldn't swim?

"Well," Robin started calmly, folding her arms. "I can't quite think of any bright ideas to solve this."

But Zoro did, and flickered his gaze between Robin and the pond, Robin and the pond, Robin and the pond before he narrowed his eyes at the water's surface, and sighed.

"Swordsman-san?"

"…Bear with me for a while, okay?"

"Pardon?"

Then she felt herself being scooped up into his arms, and Robin could only think "_oh dear_" as she stole a glance at his expression – which, by the way, looked extremely determined and a little too overconfident in her opinion.

"I'm still going to be of no use when we reach our destination for a while, you know," she told him matter-of-factly, locking her arms around his neck firmly and warily looking down at the pond.

"We'll get there in one minute," Zoro said resolutely, making a short calculation in his mind. "Three minutes tops." He caught the look she threw his way, and grinned. "Trust me."

She had all but a fraction of a second to take a deep breath before he plunged into the water, and clung onto him for dear life as Zoro kicked his feet and pushed forward, holding her tighter as he advanced towards the large cave. He swam through, glancing down at Robin, who had screwed her eyes shut ever since the swordsman had dived in. He reached the end of the passage and swam upwards, breaking through the surface and taking a large gulp of air. He climbed out quickly and peeled her arms from around his neck, running a hand through his damp hair.

"Made it in two," Zoro grinned, taking off his shirt and wringing it. Robin couldn't help but smile.

"Very impressive indeed. And thank you," she said quietly, trying to wring the hem of her shirt. Zoro politely diverted his eyes away.

"So - which one do we take?"

Robin looked up and noticed the four different routes they could take, and scowled. "You do realise that usually only one would be the safest, and the others will all probably have obstacles of their own each."

Zoro sighed. He never liked mazes. After a moment, Zoro scratched a spot on his head and began heading towards the third tunnel.

"Swordsman-san, how do you know that's the right one?"

"I don't."

Robin tried not to make a face at that, and struggled to maintain a blank expression when he turned, and unfortunately seeing right through her.

"Oi." He made sure he got her attention before folding his arms. "If Luffy was here, he'd probably waltz into any one of these passageways, even humming a song on his way. Don't you think so?" He paused and mentally groaned when he visualized it in his mind's eye. _Luffy would totally do that._

"Of course he would," she chuckled, before her smile faltered. "Just can't help but worry, is all."

"What for, exactly?"

"It's still dangerous, even compared to the other situations we've been in. I still wouldn't want anything to happen to either of us."

Zoro sighed, and without giving a second thought about it, he grabbed her wrist and began pulling her along towards the third passage.

"Not a very bright thing to say –" the swordsman mused out loud, ignoring the small glare she threw at him, "– when I'm around."

Robin blinked, momentarily surprised before sporting an amused look, and smiled to herself as he continued to lead them forward.


	3. Chapter 3

The light in the tunnels weren't that bright - it was just enough to let them see where they were going. There were moments when the path would split into two, and they would have to choose which one to take. It didn't take long for them to decide though, what with Zoro ignoring Robin's heeds, and following his instinct instead. They had been going for a while now, and so far they haven't faced anything. They were starting to think that perhaps Zoro had coincidentally chosen the right route.

Of course, nothing ever really worked out for the Strawhats.

As they marched on, Robin glanced down at her wrist, and turned it slightly under the grip of the swordsman.

"You can let go, Swordsman-san," she said quietly, amused at the confused look he threw her way over his shoulder until he glanced down.

"Oh, right," he mumbled, dropping his hand and turning back around, fighting the warm rush of blood seeming to flood his face.

After a moment, the path split once again, earning an annoyed sigh from the swordsman. "What is this, a maze?" he grumbled, scratching the back of his head as he decided which one to take.

"Can I choose?" Robin asked, smiling.

"Go ahead."

She began heading for the path on the right. "Let's go th-"

And then they heard a high-pitched scream from deep within the left passageway that sent endless shivers down their spines. The scream seemed like as if it was mourning, for what they couldn't fathom, like as if it crying for help. It echoed for a moment until it died down, and the piercing silence that followed after seemed to have never been so deathly in a way ever before. Their breathing stopped for a moment. Everything was silent, when Zoro cleared her throat.

"That was…" he trailed off, his mind scrambling for words.

"…uncalled for," Robin ended for him, fighting back another shiver.

They didn't move for a while, having second thoughts on which path they should take. Zoro was so very tempted to take the left passageway, and looked over at his crewmate to find her frowning at the direction of the scream, no doubt trying to figure it out. Of course, the logical move would be to _not_ take that path, Robin reasoned with herself; however, as she met Zoro's eyes and found a smirk on his lips – almost the splitting image of their Captain at the word '_adventure_' – Robin knew she'd lost this battle and scowled, but tried anyway.

"We're going this way," she muttered, starting towards the path on the right when a large hand pulled her back.

"Sorry, but you don't get to choose this round," he smirked, pulling her along the spooky tunnel. Robin sighed, and yanked her wrist away, trying not to glower at the man.

As they continued walking, Zoro glanced back and saw her blank expression, seeing right through the poker face she'd put on and sensing the small waves of irritation she was giving off.

"You're not freaked out, are you?" he spoke up.

Thinking back about when they first chose the one tunnel out of the four, he recalled what she had said, and guessed that she was probably thinking about the same thing. He sighed, and cleared his throat. He turned to face her, arms folded across his chest.

"Oi."

Robin halted in her tracks and looked up, momentarily surprised as she was pulled out of her train of thought. "Yes?"

"You're still worried, aren't you."

He was met with silence as Robin simply blinked, and cocked her head thoughtfully to the side.

Zoro sighed. "Look - you don't have to worry about me. I won't die, no matter what happens - not until I make Luffy the Pirate King," he simply stated, diverting his gaze away. "I've already promised myself that. So quit worrying.

"Y'know, you think I don't quite trust you," Zoro said, lowering his voice, "but from what I see, _you _haven't been trusting me much. Ironic, don't you think?"

Robin frowned.

"I don't want to listen to anymore of your doubts or whatever from now on when you're around me," he said gruffly, before pausing to stare down at an interesting spot on the wall and scratching the back of his head.

"... And have some trust in me when I say that I'll protect you from any danger," he added on, his voice faltering into a softer tone. "Even just a bit would do."

Robin hummed thoughtfully, a smile gracing her lips as she absorbed this, and observed him with a watchful eye as he fidgeted about under her scrutiny, looking at anywhere but her, the faintest tinge of pink dusting across his cheeks.

"Alright. I trust you," she said quietly, trying not to laugh at his stunned reaction and when he gave a stiff nod and carried on walking.

And as if God or the island itself wanted to test their newfound trust, they faced their first obstacle.

Zoro suddenly stopped in his tracks, and tensed. Robin, surprised, did the same, and looked around. "Swordsman-san?"

Zoro could sense that something was going to happen. It just kept nudging the back of his mind, and it was so very disturbing. He grabbed Robin's wrist once again, slowly walking forward.

"Swordsman-san -"

As if on cue, the ground below them shook violently, and in a flash the floor collapsed. They felt themselves in mid-air, falling and falling. Robin shut her eyes and crossed her arms as hand after hand grew out of the other, trying to reach the edge of the solid ground that was high above and steadily getting farther away. But she wasn't fast enough, and her strength was draining rapidly from straining her abilities – until the stress of it all got too much, and her hands disappeared in a flurry of petals all at once.

Swearing under his breath, Zoro maneuvered himself behind her and winded his arms around her waist, prepared to take the brunt of the impact once they crashed and hit the bottom. _How deep is it, anyway?_ he wondered idly, noticing that Robin had squeezed her eyes shut and was attempting to call forth her powers once more, when a dark, blurry shadow appeared before them. Its eyes were two crimson red orbs, glinting maliciously in the dark, and a grin of sharp fangs flashed across its face. Robin stilled at the killing intent it seemed to radiate, while Zoro could only stare with wide eyes.

"_Die_," it sneered, before pulling back what seemed to be an arm and landing a powerful punch on Robin's abdomen, before vanishing into thin air. The blow earned a strangled gasp from the archaeologist, whereas Zoro swore even louder as their fall picked up speed and they were fast approaching the ground.

They came crashing into the dirt, crushing the pile of bones they'd landed on into dust. Robin waited with bated breath for the pain to shoot up her spine, and jolted when the arms around her waist fell back to land heavily on the ground. Robin rolled off and kneeled by his side, hesitating as the swordsman continued to pant, and began to come around.

"Swordsman-san!" she cried frantically, shaking his shoulder slightly.

He slid open an eye and managed a weak grin. "Heh. Told you... I won't – die..."

Robin couldn't help but roll her eyes as she helped him get up into a sitting position. He groaned, massaging the back of his neck with a hand. "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked, watching his every move.

"I dunno. Maybe," he huffed, leaning against the rocky walls of the deep pit. He pulled out his swords from his hakama, inspecting them one by one slowly. "I'm more worried about my katana." Robin sighed. She sat beside him, watching as he examined his swords carefully. "And you? You hurt?"

She pulled up her legs and hugged them. "No, thanks to you." She smiled.

Zoro snorted smugly and nodded to himself. "Told you so."

After a while, he kept his swords back in place, and shut his eyes as he tried to ease out the dull ache in his lower back.

"Did you see that… that thing when we were falling?" he asked, playing the image in his head, and recalling back what it said before it disappeared.

Robin immediately remembered, and frowned as she thought about it. "Yes, and I heard it before this, too." She recalled back the moment when she was still at the ship, thinking, when she heard it. Zoro waited.

"It said 'Get out', and then I felt something grab my wrist, pulling me over the ship. That's how all this started," she said, and pondered. "There has to be a story behind this island, and as to why there're are coffins on the shore -"

"I saw the same thing too before, y'know. Twice. The first time was when we were still on the ship in that storm. I saw something coming towards us, but then it disappeared. The other one was when I dived in back at the pond, and was about to enter the cave when I saw the same dark shadow - and then it was gone."

Suddenly something in her mind fell into place, and Robin realized with a start that she'd _read_ all about this somewhere, a long time ago, way before she'd joined the Strawhats. "'The Isle of Lost Souls'," she mused, trying to recall as much as she could from the book.

Zoro snorted, unamused. "Now everything makes sense," he muttered. "So what's up with the coffin and all those bones on the shore?"

"The dead bodies are left there to rot, I suppose," Robin murmured. "From what I remember, there are spirits who rule this island – both good and evil spirits. I can't recall what they're called, but I do know that the evil ones try to stop any and all who comes upon the island from venturing any further and discovering about them. They are the spirits who try to drag in outsiders to join them by killing them," she explained, staring off into nothing as her mind visualized the old, leather-bound book in her lap.

"And the nicer ones?" Zoro prompted.

"Those spirits don't do anything," she murmured, frowning. "If I recall correctly, they simply wait here for help from whoever lands on the island, though the evil ones would see to it that it doesn't happen. Ultimately, it's up to them whether they want to lie in wait, or join the evil and keep pulling others in with them."

Zoro was silent as he absorbed this new bit of information, and could only think with a resigned sigh, _what luck_.

"Let's save the souls that want help, Swordsman-san," she suggested suddenly, resting her chin in her hand as she turned to face her nakama.

He idly picked up a tiny stone from beside him and threw it into the air, watching as it crumbled to dust when it landed. "I don't mind - but exactly how are we going to do that?"

"There's a large pearl somewhere in the middle of the island, said to be the souls' home. If we manage to get a hand of it and take it to the sea, they're free," she explained, frowning slightly. "But it won't be easy."

"Why not?"

Robin shrugged, and stood up, looking at the ground they once stood on. "The pages after that were torn out from the book, right up till the end. I never found out. More importantly," she glanced at him, "how are we going to get out of here?"

Zoro got to his feet and dusted off the dirt, staring up. "We climb."

"Climb? It's five metres deep," Robin pointed out, staring incredulously at Zoro, who began to crack his knuckles.

"I've done worse," he muttered, walking towards the rocky surface. "Come on, grab on."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Grab on," he repeated nonchalantly, thrusting a thumb over his shoulder at his back. "Unless you wanna climb yourself, or something. Have fun with that."

Robin hesitated before walking towards him, unsure. Zoro looked back, sighing in frustration as he grabbed her wrists and threw them over his shoulders, locking them in place. "Slow, aren't you," he muttered as Robin hummed thoughtfully for the umpteenth time that day. "Hang on tight – and don't strangle me to death."

Zoro began to climb up the rocky surface effortlessly, with Robin situated on his back. She gently rested her chin on his shoulder. "You seem to be enjoying this," she said. He merely let out a grunt, quickening his pace.

Upon reaching the top, Zoro climbed over and patiently waited for Robin to get off his back. _I need to meditate more and focus my mind_, he thought absentmindedly.

"Let's go then; and thank you," Robin said, throwing him a grateful smile.

They walked down the passageway, in high hopes that they would reach the middle of the island soon. Sometimes they heard footsteps following them from behind. Sometimes the light from the torches would go out and it'd be pitch-black, and Zoro would have to reach around and grab her wrist in the blinding darkness until the torches were somehow - and suddenly - lit again. After what seemed like a hundred passages, they came upon a small flight of stairs, which apparently led them out into the cold chilly air of the night, and were greeted by the infinite stars that scattered across the sky.

"We're outside again," Zoro breathed, taking in the fresh air, and stretched. After a moment of scanning the area, he spotted a suspicious-looking boulder resting at the foot of a tall mountain.

His attention was pulled away when he took a short glance at his nakama. Robin shivered, hugging herself slightly. "We need to find a warm place to turn in for the night - it's so cold."

He looked around and almost sighed out loud in relief as he spotted a cave not too far away. The cave was large, and was actually quite chilly; but nothing a good fire couldn't help get rid of. They trudged towards it, picking up twigs and branches for firewood along the way.

The bad thing about the cave was that water leaked from the rocky ceiling the deeper it was, which meant that they could only camp out near the entrance - but they didn't really have any other choice. Once inside, they piled up the branches and got a fire going, trying to absorb the warmth that it gave off. But no matter how close they could get to the fire without getting burned, the night breeze that entered the cave still sent cold chills and goosebumps across their skin.

Robin sat, hugging her knees to her chest tightly as she rubbed her arms. She huffed out a small sigh, pursing her lips when she saw her own frosty breath. _That _was how cold it was. She couldn't stop the violent shivers running down her back.

Zoro, on the other hand, was reserved, trying to focus his mind away from the sat there rigidly in his usual posture - arms folded, shoulders hunched, head ducked and eyes closed. He tried to fight back the occasional shiver that tried to rack his frame, although from time to time he had goosebumps from the wind.

He was startled from attempting to doze off at a particular sound from somewhere in front of him. He paused, and cracked a grin and turned to face his crewmate. "Is that your teeth _chattering_?"

Robin let out a small, shaky laugh, before resting her chin on her knees. "I c-can't help it. I'm s-sorry if it b-bothers you."

Zoro watched for a short moment as she rested her gaze on the fire in front of them, crackling and flickering brightly in the dark, a sharp contrast to the black surroundings outside the cave. He snorted, closing his eyes once more.

"What's gonna bother me is you dying from frostbite."

Robin turned back to him bemused and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

The swordsman let out a loud, exasperated sigh, before he stood up and walked over to her side and dropped down next to her. She watched, her face blank and devoid of emotion, inwardly confused.

"If a word from you leaves this cave to the rest of the crew about this, I'm killing you," he muttered, his attention on the flames licking the branches. If possible his scowl seemed to deepen even further.

"What are you-"

Next thing she knew, an arm found its way around her waist and pulled her tight to his side.

* * *

><p>Note: I'm so sorry for the long wait. And the cliffhanger. Is it a cliffhanger? Haha. Just thought it was long enough. Thank you to all the people who have read the first two shitty chapters and bearing with my hiatus. Love you to bits. X<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Normal people would think that nights were meant to be still and quiet. Out in the vast sea at midnight was no exception. Even pirates were quiet at night - they knew better than to attract other unwanted visitors to their ship, after all; who wanted to be ambushed in the middle of a good night's sleep?

Then again, the Strawhat Pirates have never really been anywhere near normal.

"– JUST _WHY_ DID IT HAVE TO BE THAT _MARIMO_ –"

Nami pressed her fingertips against her temples and sighed, willing for the slight, throbbing headache to go away.

"SWEAR I'D _KICK HIS ASS_ IF HE –"

"SANJI-KUN!"

Said person whirled around, his ears red hot from all his rambling over their current predicament. His cigarette had long gone out, resting limply between his fingers. At the sight of his dear navigator, he tensed slightly before his shoulders slumped, and let a sigh drag itself from his lips. He ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"I'm sorry, Nami-san," he huffed, flicking his hand towards the vast, rippling black sea. His cigarette rocked back and forth to the rhythm of the waves. "It's just that- I just-"

"We know you're worried – we all are – but you didn't have to put it that way, y'know," Usopp said quietly from where he leaned against the sides of the Sunny. "You can trust Zoro."

Brook nodded. "He's right, Sanji-san. Zoro-san's not at all that bad. Besides, Robin-san can deal with him. She's a brilliant woman, yohoho."

The cook sighed once more, dragging a calloused hand down his face. A few minutes ago, he felt like tearing down the walls of the Sunny and screaming at the unfairness of the entire situation. But now – now, he just felt stupid and outright embarrassed. He shouldn't have said the things he did, and he shouldn't have been so... _mean_ about Zoro, especially behind the swordsman's back. How shameful.

He swallowed down another round of rants. "Alright, okay. So what now?"

Everyone instantly turned to Nami. She pulled her gaze to the deck, forehead creasing deep in thought as she folded her arms across her chest. She pursed her lips into a tight line.

"Okay, I spotted an island nearby in the middle of the storm, so that's where Zoro and Robin must have gone to for land," Nami started to explain to everyone. "It's called 'The Isle of Lost Souls', and judging by the name itself, I'm pretty sure we'll have to thread on carefully from now on. It's hard to navigate around there in that weather, I reckon, since everything was fine until we reached that area..." she trailed off, frowning slightly. "But we'll make it. We'll save those two."

"When do we set sail?"

"In the morning, so everyone get some rest tonight, alright?" The crew nodded, hesitating a little and fidgeting where they stood, before reluctantly turning to make their way back to their own headquarters.

Sanji looked over his shoulder to see that Nami hadn't moved from her spot, hands gripping on the smooth wooden railing of the ship as her eyes roamed over the vast, endless sea. Something about the grim, uncomfortable expression she sported had him halting in his tracks and walking back to her. He cocked his head to the side as he stood beside the navigator.

"Nami-san?" She blinked. "Nami-san, is everything alright?"

Nami huffed. "It's just that island... I have a bad feeling about it..."

"Hey." Sanji leaned his hip against the railing, arms folded, and his eyes soft. "We have the best navigator the world has to offer. We'll get there."

Nami _almost _blushed, but she merely glanced at him before diverting her gaze back to sea. She shook her head. "It's not that."

"Then what are you worrying so much about?"

She scowled. "Zoro and Robin."

"Zoro will take care of Robin-chan, as much as that hurt to say," Sanji reassured her softly. "She's strong too, anyway."

"Yeah, but-"

A gentle hand on her shoulder cut her off. She met his gaze. "They'll be fine, Nami-san."

Nami, on the other hand, shuddered slightly.

"I hope so."

* * *

><p>"And what the hell's <em>that <em>supposed to be?" Zoro grumbled, jabbing a finger towards the direction of three bright silver studs that stood in a line in the sky.

Robin hummed slightly. "That's Orion's Belt."

Robin heard something along the lines of 'Know-It-All' and chuckled quietly. After Zoro's little Act of Kindness, they'd been silent when the swordsman suddenly pointed out a "huge-ass star" and then the archaeologist had grinned and named the twinkling object. Then Zoro had jabbed a finger at every other star that caught his eye, just to see if she knew them all - which she did, to his slight annoyance - and there they were right at that moment.

Companionable silence fell between them once again. Zoro planted his hands on the uneven ground behind her, leaning back on his arms. A loud yawn tore itself from his lips, the kind that Robin had grown accustomed to by then.

After a short while, Zoro moved once more, crossing his legs and holding his katana which he planted between his thighs. He leaned forward to gently rest his forehead against Wado Ichimonji's snow white sheathe, sighing under his breath.

Robin regarded him silently for a moment. "Restless, Swordsman-san?" The slight amusement in her tone didn't pass by unnoticed.

"Tired," he grunted before frowning. "And quit calling me that."

Robin took a mental note and tried to stifle a yawn. Her eyelids started to droop as her forehead dropped to her knees which she was still hugging to her chest. As exhaustion started to take over her senses, she managed to voice out a quiet 'goodnight' to her crewmate, who didn't say anything, and she assumed that he was already lost to the world.

Robin finally drifted to sleep, unconsciously leaning against Zoro. Her head rocked to his shoulder once again. This time, she didn't sit up in alarm with a sheepish look over her red features.

This time, after a moment of contemplation, Zoro _hm_'ed gruffly and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p>The next morning was greeted with a scowl from a particularly grumpy swordsman. At the sound of waves crashing against the shore somewhere in the distance, Zoro lifted his head from where it'd been hanging almost all night, grimacing at the stiff muscles in his neck that groaned when he moved. He grumbled when the sound of thunder filled his ears. He sure was missing the sun.<p>

_Some rest,_ he thought sardonically as he stood, brushing the dirt off his pants and carefully tucking his beloved katana away into his haramaki. With heavy, lazy steps, Zoro lumbered to the entrance of the cave, willing for the lethargy in his bones to fade away.

"Think fast, Zoro-san."

It took him a few seconds to process what happened next. An apple flew his way and hit him right in the chest, then dropped next to his feet. He looked up, unimpressed, at the archaeologist who sauntered out of the woods with a bunch of fruits in her arms, sporting a smug look.

He almost rolled his eyes. "Really?"

She laughed lightly. "Good morning."

Zoro picked up the apple and wiped the dirt off with the front of his shirt, before sinking his teeth into the juicy fruit. "Mornin'."

He went over to where she sat on some rocks by the cave. Sitting across her, he watched as Robin picked up a weird-looking fruit and started to munch on it.

His eyes roamed the area. "Found anythin'?"

"There's a pond due west from here; we can get water there."

Finishing up their food, they wasted no time and began trekking through the dense jungle. Zoro had pointed out the suspicious-looking boulder last night, and after making a stop at another clear pond, they made their way to the foot of a tall, looming mountain.

For some reason, it reminded him of the Red Line. It looked like as if they'd have to get inside the hard, weird way - Zoro hoped they didn't have to climb the thing. He looked around, trying to find a way in when he spotted Robin standing by the steep sides of the mountain, deep in thought as she stared hard at the rocky wall as if trying to burn a hole right through it with the intensity of her gaze.

He went over to her side. "Oi."

"It's a cross."

She turned to him, pointing to a spot where a small yet messy 'x' was carved into the wall. Zoro raised a questioning brow, partly in confusion and curiosity. He shrugged at her pondering gaze, his eyes roaming over their surroundings.

They landed on a pile of large rocks stacked on top of one another, and he jabbed a thumb in its direction. "Hey, there's another 'x' over here!"

"And another here," came the murmur a distance away. Zoro stepped around to see his crewmate crouching by an old and rotten log with a large, ugly 'x' carved onto it.

After looking around for another few minutes, the duo continued to find crosses here and there, some neatly carved in while some others seemed as if they'd been clawed out on the pieces of nature. Robin stood motionlessly once again, staring intently at a cross that marred a trunk. She hummed quietly.

"I have a theory," she said, pulling Zoro's attention away from where he was fighting against creepy crawlers of all kinds on a rotten log that housed not only the creatures, but also another cross. "I think," she mused, "that these crosses are signs, or directions."

She went over to a fallen trunk where a cross was neatly carved into, running her fingers lightly over it. "See this one? Whoever did this must have had the time to carve it in, to point out that the entrance to the mountain is not anywhere near here."

Robin then went to crouch by the foot of the mountain, brushing away dirt that dusted a huge, ugly cross. "And the crosses like this one must have meant that someone must have gone this way before, only to find out there were... _obstacles _in the way.

"I'd say that we should thank whoever carved us these warnings," she got up, dusting off the dirt nonchalantly.

"Yeah well, if that's the case, should we throw a party for this guy?"

Robin turned around to see her crewmate jabbing a thumb over his shoulder with a smug look. Walking over to his side, she cocked her head at a huge, old tree. It was when she strained her eyes that she saw the faint arrow on the trunk, pointing downwards towards the bushes around it. Zoro was already on his way there, grumbling as he set about to clear the path.

Robin followed suit and stopped when Zoro kicked away some rocks and debris at the foot of the tree. The ground looked suspiciously lumpy, and when Zoro planted a foot there and pushed some of his weight down, the 'ground' practically _bent_ downwards beneath his foot.

He blinked, momentarily nonplussed, before stomping his foot there. The ground shook before a sound was heard somewhere underneath them, and then it crumbled away like a rocky waterfall, revealing a large hole of complete darkness.

It was an entrance.

Zoro turned his head to Robin's in disbelief, who looked back at him with questioning brows. He shook his head.

"Words fail me," he muttered, before jumping into the darkness below.

The archaeologist couldn't help but chuckle as she went in after him.

It was quite a long fall down before she landed. Looking up, she realized that it was like square one all over again - there were several passageways that circled her, a torch lighting up the dark tunnel. More importantly, one would think that if a pair was lost on a haunted island, they would no doubt stick together at all times.

Apparently, Zoro begged to differ.

"Zoro-san?" No reply. Robin sighed, and began looking around for any signs of her stubborn partner or the path he could have taken.

Something caught her eye then. A small object on each side of a particular passageway sparkled even in the dim light of the lit torch and gained her attention. Walking towards it, she found that it was a crystal growing from the ground and she frowned. Looking around a little more, Robin noticed another faint arrow beneath her foot and almost smiled.

Then she heard a scream that she never thought she'd hear, and before she realized it herself, she started running.

* * *

><p>Zoro could have sworn he saw something move in the darkness of the passageway he went in. All thoughts fled his mind when he spotted some kind of shadow ghost its way down a particularly suspicious-looking pathway. Being the impulsive guy he was, Zoro went right after it, totally forgetting about his crewmate.<p>

He was starting to hate the dark. As he tried to make his footfalls as quiet as possible, Zoro grumbled silently under his breath, wondering _where the hell_ the torches were when he needed them most.

He froze when a sound behind him reached his ears; the sound of another footstep that wasn't his. He blinked, before continuing forward, only to hear the same thing.

Instead of whirling around or yelling "Who's there?!" like anyone else would, Zoro stopped, sighed and scrubbed a tired hand down his face. Truth to be told, the swordsman was getting tired of feeling as though he was being played with. Either the 'things' faced him like a man – as dead as they may be, no matter – or they let him save their sorry, rotten asses. It was a give-or-take situation, really.

So he waited. He shut his eyes and wondered if whatever-it-was was going to do anything else or make another sound. When nothing happened after a while, Zoro got a tad irritated and opened his mouth to make a snide comment.

He was cut off by a high-pitched shrill of a scream.

He started running towards his crewmate, wherever she was.

* * *

><p>I swear, Im really sorry. This past half year has been difficult to handle. Im pretty sure Im one of the average emotionally-unstable people you meet at some point. Heh. Thanks for holding on, though.<p>

And yes, this chapter's kinda short. Sorry. Next one's hectic :) :) ;)

Please don't give up on me just yet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning: This chapter may contain disturbing content (lots of blood, some gore?) so it's a little of T to M!**

* * *

><p>She hated this. She really, really hated this - running around in the dark, looking for that other stubborn living soul on the same haunted island as her screaming bloody murder and making goose bumps break out across her skin. She could almost feel the pain behind the agonizing screams, bouncing off the rocky walls and echoing down the narrow path. Robin tried to focus her mind on finding her crewmate in the pitch black of the passage, trusting her sense of hearing and some of her guts as she followed the echoes of Zoro's seemingly never-ending howls.<p>

Robin couldn't shake off the little voice that yelled at her from the backseat of her mind that something was wrong. She didn't know why she wasn't listening to it, with all the warning bells going off in her head, but as her feet continued to carry her forward, she vaguely felt a faint presence behind her urging her on. She frowned, turning her head over her shoulder to look behind her, when –

"R-Robin...?"

Robin halted to a dead stop and tensed. Judging by the sound of the heavy, ragged breathing, he was pretty close by, but she couldn't see a single thing in that insufferable darkness that swallowed up every inch of her sight. She reached out blindly, a small sense of relief washing over her as her fingers brushed across the rough, rocky walls.

"Zoro-san?" she called out, moving forward with careful steps. "Where are you?"

"Here... I - I'm here."

_Here where?!_ she wanted to add on, but decided against it instead. Robin took a deep breath – she tried not to wince at the sickly, metallic smell of blood that wafted around her – and tried to clear her mind. She counted slowly to ten, part of her hoping that when she opened her eyes, she could see again, and maybe Zoro wasn't doing all that bad.

But as she took another tentative step forward, Robin tripped over something solid and huge and _human_, and managed to catch herself just before her knees gave way. The old torches lining the walls lit up at that instant, flickering quietly in the passage, casting an orange glow across the rough surfaces. Robin almost wanted to cry out in relief, only to stop short once she turned around to see whatever had tripped her.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she absentmindedly willed for the lights to go out again.

Zoro was a bloody and beaten up mess, clinging on to the barest threads of life still holding him together. His shoulder sported a gaping hole where blood continued to seep through the tight, white fabric of his shirt, dripping into a steadily-growing puddle on the ground beneath him. The scars and wounds of varying lengths and depths that criss-crossed his skin decorated his body as if it were some kind of sick form of art. His eyes were glazed over and his breathing was labored and shallow, his chest rising and falling quickly to compensate for the lack of air in his lungs.

The torches were still ablaze.

"Robin..."

"_Zoro_." She dropped to her knees beside him, cradling his limp head in her lap and touched his cheek lightly. " Zoro, please stay awake! Just – _come on_, don't –"

"It's too bright... 'm tired as hell," he breathed, his eyes fluttering shut.

"No! Don't –! Oh no, please, no, come on, _Zoro _–"

A weak, trembling hand reached up to brush calloused fingers against the side of her neck. The stark contrast of his cold digits on her skin made her jump a little, sending another wave of goose bumps on her skin. She blinked as the swordsman rested his hand on one side of her throat.

"Heh," Zoro managed a chuckle, his fingers growing heavy where they were, "don't... get – s'worked up. M'fine. Just… need t'sleep."

"No, you can't sleep," Robin murmured, trying to shove the panic and fear down her suddenly tight throat. _Of all the times to take a nap!_ She swallowed. "Stay awake, Zoro. We'll get off this island and Chopper will fix you up, and – just –"

"Hell, Robin," Zoro laughed weakly, "quit y'fussin'," he rumbled, pulling her down with deliberate and unfamiliar slowness. His eyes cracked open as he smirked up at her, his face mere inches from her own, her own blue eyes wide and unsure.

"Z-Zoro?" she stammered, her heart skipping a beat or two when the swordsman pushed himself up weakly on an elbow and leaned forward with what strength he had left.

Robin's body seemed to shut down as she sat there, completely and utterly immobilized with shock, as Zoro continued to pull her closer and closer. He craned his neck and let his dry lips rest on the underside of her jaw, triggering a small gasp from the normally reserved dark-haired woman from the feather-light touch. She could only stare at the bloodied ground where he lay moments ago as he trailed his way up her jaw line slowly to her ear. She tried to stop her breathing from hitching when Zoro released a shaky sigh, tried to fight the shiver that ran up her spine when he suddenly laughed darkly.

"The only thing you should be worrying so much about is yourself, sweetheart."

In the next second, her throat became painfully constricted by the rough fingers that held her by the neck. Robin gasped, finally snapping back to her senses, and clawed at the hand that held her in place firmly. She found enough strength to grab his wrist, her nails digging into his skin, trying desperately to pull his hand away as she struggled to break free. She leaned as far away from him as possible, her eyes taking in the form of her crewmate, widening once again.

His face twisted into a wicked sneer, his mouth stretching up across half his cheeks and baring sharp, fanged canines that glinted red in the light of the burning torches above their heads. His eyes were bloodshot and wide, as if they were just about ready to pop out of his orbits. His skin was paler, colder and rougher as he reached up with his other hand to join the one already around her throat. He cocked his head to the side, watching her intently, and tightened his hold.

Robin's mouth went slack as her oxygen supply was slowly cut off. Gathering up whatever strength was left in her arms, she managed to cross them at her chest and was about to will for her Hana Hana no Mi to come forth when it struck her that the man in front of her was –

_Not Zoro!_ she chided herself inwardly. Her breathing hitched, and in the next second, they were surrounded with pale petals as two arms sprouted from the being's shoulders. His smirk faltered as he tilted his head further to glance up at the strange arms, when the hands grabbed at his head and twisted it in other direction until a loud, sickening _pop_ pierced through the still air. The fingers around her neck disappeared in an instant as its mouth went slack, falling open only for an empty scream to escape. Robin scrambled away from the broken imposter, coughing and trying to make up for the lack of oxygen in her body. She watched, almost transfixed, as his body froze for a moment, before shuddering violently with tremors racking across his bloodied skin. He sat up abruptly, face bowed towards the ground, before slowly, _slowly_ trying to get onto his feet.

Not quite wanting to stay around to find out what was about to happen next, Robin instantly scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as her legs could take her. She heard a low, angry growl over her shoulder, and didn't bother to look back to know that he – _it_ was already on the chase, hot on her heels and, god help her, catching up. She wasn't sure if she was heading back towards the entrance, or down the other direction, but she fervently prayed that she wouldn't end up in a –

_Dead end! _Robin cursed under her breath, questioning her luck as the sight of the rocky wall in front of her blocked any and all chances of escape she could've had. Her heart started to pump even faster as the growling and howls behind her seemed to grow louder, and closer, and she didn't have anywhere else to run anymore, and that _thing_ was probably going to _eat her alive and tear out her insides_ and –

A tug on her arm snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked over, confused, to find nobody there beside her. But she could vaguely feel the grip around her wrist, and stumbled when it pulled harder – she definitely felt that one. Whatever it was, it abruptly tugged her towards a narrow gap in the walls on her right, and she felt a spark of hope inside her chest as she turned on her heel and made a leap for the small pathway, scraping her skin on the rocky walls on both her sides in the process – even for her small size, the gap had still been a tight fit.

Panting harshly, Robin looked over her shoulder to find the imposter standing at the entrance of the narrow gap, staring down at her with an angry scowl across its face, nothing like the ones Zoro wore almost every day. Its eyes were wide and furious, seeming to see right through her very soul, and Robin realized with a start that Zoro's body wasn't able to fit through the small space. It bared its canines and hissed at her, before letting out a howl into the air, the sound echoing off the walls of the passages. After a moment, it stalked off and out of her sight.

Robin sat there, catching her breath, trying to calm her thoughts and heart, and shakily got to her feet. She couldn't rest just yet – she had to look for Zoro, and she had to find him _fast_.

Determined not to give up just yet, Robin started her trek down the narrow pathway, a hand on the wall on her left, and hoped that Zoro was safe.

* * *

><p>"Robin! Oi Robin, where the hell are you?!"<p>

His calls bounced off the walls all around him, breaking the still air in the passageway every now and then. Desperation began to creep into his voice as the clock continued to tick, and still no sign of Robin anywhere. He had been running for a while now, perhaps for an hour, occasionally cursing colorfully whenever the path split into two, and could only hope that he'd come across his nakama eventually even if all he had to find her was that one, agonizing scream earlier on; though, of course, he wasn't looking forward to any more of those.

After another few minutes or so, Zoro began to slow down, stopping beneath a lit torch to catch his breath and survey his surroundings. Frowning, he was convinced that, no matter how he looked at it, he _wasn't_ lost, he _hadn't _been running around in circles, that torch _definitely didn't look familiar_ –

"Damnit," Zoro cursed again, and started to make his way down the path once more. "Of course we just had to lose each other in this hellhole," he muttered, panting all over again. "Of all the times for her to _wander off and get lost_! How the hell did this even happen? She was _right behind_ me!"

He didn't stop rambling to himself even when the passage split into two _again_, and didn't even bother to stop and ponder over which way he should take – just continued to run down the left path, still grumbling under his breath.

After a few more moments of running, the passage he'd taken seemed to be growing darker and darker, he realized with a scowl. The atmosphere around him grew thick and dense, carrying with it an ominous air to it that Zoro suddenly found a little too difficult to breathe in. With what little light he had to lead his way forward, Zoro heightened all his senses and tightened his hold on Kitetsu, gritting his teeth together at the sudden cold creeping across his skin. He restrained himself from scrunching up his nose at the strong coppery tang of blood in the air, and could vaguely feel Kitetsu almost tremble in his grip.

He wasn't surprised when the path split into two once again, but he wasn't planning on stopping and taking two minutes to figure out which way he should go. So being the man of instincts he was, Zoro shoved down the nagging feeling at the back of his mind that told him to _turn left, turn left, don't go right, don't you dare –_

He steered right, and almost crashed into Robin.

As it was, his quick reaction time saved them both from flying to the ground, and Zoro managed to stop himself in his tracks in front of her, who seemed just as surprised as he was. Struggling to catch his breath, he leaned a hand against the wall beside him for support and lifted his head to look at her.

Robin blinked, a hand tucking her hair behind an ear neatly as she stared at Zoro for a while almost expressionlessly. Zoro gave her a once-over briefly and was relieved to find her relatively unharmed, her skin clean of any injury and blood. He straightened and frowned.

"You gonna tell me what was that all about?"

She tilted her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"You screaming bloody murder like as if you got stabbed in the gut," he told her bluntly, narrowing his eyes when her burrows furrowed slightly.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Swordsman-san."

Zoro stared at her blankly, and after a moment, was suddenly hyperaware of everything around him; the empty, dark passages that seemed to stretch everywhere around him, the cold seeping through his clothes and slithering across his skin, and the steady _drip, drip, drip_ in the otherwise deathly silence. He was aware of the smell of blood he could almost taste on his tongue, and of Robin herself, who was still staring at him.

Then everything in his mind clicked into place, and the corner of his mouth twitched when a voice in his head laughed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly counted to ten, and opened them once more.

She was still there. Kitetsu thrummed beneath his fingers.

_So be it._

"Alright then," Zoro said nonchalantly, turning on his heel, "since there isn't any problem, let's go look for a way outta here. This place is settin' me off."

He ignored the fact that his crewmate didn't respond, and retraced his steps (as much as he can) to walk back towards the other path he hadn't taken earlier. They continued in silence, his footfalls much, much louder than hers, it seemed. In fact, he couldn't hear them at all – _not that it matters_, he inwardly grumbled.

When a torch overhead flickered, Zoro raised an eyebrow, but thought nothing of it – until, of course, it actually went out, and the passage was submerged in darkness. He halted, staring into pitch black and wondering if he would have to keep walking around like this until he found a way out of there, blatantly ignoring the presence of the woman behind him. Zoro sighed and ran a hand through his hair, scratching a spot on his head.

"You know," he drawled out loudly, continuing to walk forward with a hand on the rocky wall to his right, "a normal person would be shitting his pants right about now and screaming his head off. Don't ya think?"

Silence.

"Of course, a normal person wouldn't have even tried coming here in the first place." He laughed then, tapping the walls. "Then again, I haven't been called normal in a long time."

"…And you consider me normal, then? Swordsman-san?"

For the umpteenth time that day, Zoro paused and hummed in contemplation. He smirked, and calmly unsheathed a katana with a thumb.

"Nah, I consider you dead."

Kitetsu sang as it sliced through the air, where _Robin_ had been a few moments ago. Zoro closed his eyes and exhaled – his eyesight wouldn't be of any use to him at this point – and sharpened his sense of hearing and smell. He knew he hadn't cut through anything (or anyone) yet, but he could hear the constant _drip, drip, drip_, and could smell the metallic scent ever-present in the air, stronger than ever.

"Swordsman-san?" It was small and hesitant, and a tad afraid, but Zoro couldn't care less. "What…?"

"Drop it," he muttered as he unsheathed Shusui and took his stance. "You're a hundred years too early to be deceiving _me_."

There was silence, and then a dark laugh that bothered Zoro immensely; Robin sounded nothing like that, and yet, it was all her voice. Zoro huffed and ran forward, delivering another strike, but was cut off when his katana were both caught. He cursed, attempting to wrench them away, but was only met with a snicker.

_Drip, drip, drip._

"Well," she said, a sneer in her voice, "no point hiding it anymore, I suppose."

A beat passed, and then the torch nearby flickered to life with a spark. Zoro blinked at the woman before him, whose smile was a far cry from Robin's, with her lips torn all the way up across her cheeks, and her eyes now dark and empty. Her hands were holding onto both his katana tightly, blood dripping from her wrists and trailing down her arms, creating a growing red puddle by their feet. Her arms were drenched with blood up to her elbows, and Zoro tried not to flinch and wonder exactly whose blood it all once belonged to.

"Surprise," she mocked, with a sickening smile.

Despite it all, Zoro smirked. "Not really."

He pulled away and leaped back when she made a swipe at his torso, with, now he noticed, dangerously sharp nails that were twice the length of her fingers. He swung a katana towards her neck, which she grabbed with a hand, and reached out with the other to aim directly for his heart. Zoro cursed and ducked, and swiftly drove Kitetsu into her stomach, feeling specks of blood fly and splatter all around, and tried not to cringe.

_This is not Robin_, he firmly reminded himself, and twisted Kitetsu around, causing blood to spurt from the wound. _Not Robin, not Robin, not Robin_…

"Z-Zoro…?"

His eyes snapped open. _He knew that voice._

"Why…? Y-You just… Zoro…!"

He looked up and his blood ran cold at the sight of _Kuina_, her white shirt now dark red, hands on Kitetsu's blade. Her eyes are full-blown with fear, fear of _him_, and Zoro couldn't remember when was the last time his heart had clenched and twisted. He wrenched his katana free, cringing at the spurt of blood from his best friend's body, and –

_Goddammit! She's not real!_

"You piece of –!" he roared, and lunged at her, driving both his katana into her midsection, and tried to drown out the watery cries and gurgles.

It didn't help when she coughed up blood, but looked up at him with a bloody smile on her lips and a red gleam in her eye. She pulled out the swords from her being and dropped to the floor, all but laughing.

"Ah, I thought I could've lasted a little longer," she sighed, staring wistfully at the growing puddle beneath her. "But what's done is done, no?"

"Screw you," Zoro breathed, his knuckles white around the hilts of his swords. "What the hell are you playing at? Who are you?!"

"I'm not so sure myself," she hummed, "I died a long time ago. I can take the form of those your heart desires to see most, though. It gets boring here sometimes, after all."

He stared at her with disbelief, eyes widening as her fingers began to melt away into thin air, and the rest of her body closely following suit. She sighed when she noticed, and pushed herself to stand, despite the gaping hole in her stomach, and then _smiled_ at him. His heartstrings tugged at the sight of his dead best friend smiling at him of all things, with blood on her hands and face and still smiling. He closed his eyes and unsheathed his katana, silently waiting.

"Well," she spoke up, undeterred by his reaction, "thanks for entertaining me, anyway. I guess I'll see you around, eh, Zoro?"

"Go to hell already," he all but muttered, refusing to watch her go.

A laugh echoed down the suddenly quiet passage, and then she was gone. Zoro opened his eyes and found himself alone, the torch above his head still burning brightly. He took a deep, shaky breath to calm his racing heart, tried to push out whatever the hell just happened from his mind, and slowly took a step forward, and another, and another, and slowly made his way down the passage.

Somewhere behind him, there was a faint _drip, drip, drip_ in the far distance.

Zoro didn't look back and kept walking.

* * *

><p>AN: I know, right? I'm unforgivable. I'm sorry for the ridiculously long wait, but I'm sure 'sorry' wouldn't fix anything right now sigh. But I really am sorry! I really, really am. Also for the shitty ending - I actually rushed through it a little because I might be falling sick right now and my head is trying to murder me. I'm sorry. But I hope this chapter has been alright!

***Also, there will be some pretty major changes to this fic! I mean, I started this fic like two years ago, and you learn a lot in two years, yknow? So! The summary will change and the previous chapters will be modified as well (because my 2012 grammar makes me cry so hard like you wouldnt believe) (also cringe) but the title will otherwise remain the same! The modified chapters will be quite heavily edited, mind you. In my opinion, anyway. I'll update you guys when they have all changed!

Last of all, thank you to every single one of you who has read this story and hung on to it despite me disappearing into thin air for over a year. I'm so sorry, but really, thank you. Thanks for the reviews too - I honestly cant believe you guys actually want me to keep this going! I thought it would be a fail when I started it heh and well, I get discouraged pretty easily.

That's enough of that! Thank you for reading! Reviews are appreciated :) Throw em at me!


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